2021 Reproductive Health Survey Now Under Way

Data collection for the 2021 Reproductive Health Survey (RHS) is now under  way.

The RHS is a household survey that looks at the fertility, contraception, and reproductive health of women and men aged 15 to 49 years.

The survey, being conducted by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) on behalf of the National Family Planning Board (NFPB), began the week of August 16 in the parishes of Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Thomas, Portland, St. Mary, and St. Catherine.

Data collection for the remaining parishes will commence this week.

Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank today (Wednesday, September 1) at the agency’s head office in Kingston, Unit Head of the Special Projects Unit, Surveys Division at STATIN, Philone Mantock, told JIS News that 121 interviewers and 36 supervisors are currently in the field conducting the survey.

“We have two samples for the survey, a male sample and a female sample, totalling 11,080 dwellings,” Ms. Mantock said.

She said the interviewers will visit households to administer the questionnaire. Based on the members in the household, one person, whether male or female, will be selected to complete the individual questionnaire.

“The survey has two questionnaires… one asks basic questions about the characteristics of the household in terms of number of bedrooms, amenities and so on,” said Ms. Mantock, adding that the other questionnaire will ask questions about partnership history and fertility.

She further said that females will respond to questions about the number of pregnancies they have had, while the males will be asked about the number of “live births” they have had. Other questions will focus on contraception, tobacco and alcohol use, HIV and their perception, knowledge, and attitudes towards sexual and reproductive health.

Ms. Mantock also informed that in preparing for the survey, both a pretest and a pilot were done to assess the questionnaire and the processes of the survey.

Meanwhile, Principal Director of the National Family Planning Board, Lovette Byfield, informed that the RHS Survey is “well overdue”, as the last one was conducted in 2008.

“The information which will be gleaned from this survey will be used in determining programme implementation and other vital issues specific to how we deal with the issues relating to reproductive health,” she added.